Today, furniture, and particularly bedding, manufacturers have developed sophisticated and reliable techniques for manufacturing high quality and durable mattresses. The industry is capable of providing mattresses that last for over ten years providing comfortable sleeping surfaces for all that time. Many of these mattresses include foam, such as polyurethane foams, either as a component of the mattress or as the principal sleeping surface in foam mattresses.
As the industry strives to continue providing improved quality and reliability, one area that needs to be addressed are problems with odors related to foams. During the manufacture of foam, odors are sometimes produced. These odors are thought to be byproducts of the reaction used to make the foam or as a result of a partially incomplete reaction. For example, unreacted or decomposed amines generated during the manufacture of foam for mattress components (such as innercores, cushioning layers and side walls) remain in the final mattress product. These amines generate unpleasant odors that linger for extended periods of time. As a result mattress manufacturers suffer from numerous consumer returns and complaints.
Mattress manufacturers have addressed this problem by requiring the foam buns and components to cure for a certain period of time, such as 72 hours, and checking the foams for odors after this time period has passed. Then, if these foam products do not have odors, they may be used in mattresses. However, waiting a certain period of time before using foams in products results in production delays. Moreover, these manufacturers have to overcome storage issues arising out of the inexact science of determining whether there is an odor in a foam product. These issues are further amplified by the fact that environmental conditions, particularly in winter when the air is cold and dry, may cause the odors to linger for longer periods of time.
Other manufacturers address this problem by adding fragrances to mattresses to mask the unpleasant odors emanating from foam layers. This approach is disadvantageous not only because of the added cost, but also because the pleasantness or unpleasantness of a particular fragrance is highly subjective and may vary across a population, and over time, fragrances can begin to decrease in intensity and reduce the promised benefits of a fragrant mattress.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide for a foam that is free from odor such that it is ready for use in a mattress soon after the foam is cured.